Competitive Scholarships Attract the Best

Do you have what it takes to be a Trustee Scholar? North Park senior Seth McConkey thinks you should go for it.

McConkey is a current recipient of the University's competitive Trustee Award, an honor that provides exceptional students up to $4,000 annually for four years. The award regularly draws applications from scores of eligible incoming freshmen and has been granted to as many as six students at a time. This year's Trustee Award competition is now open for the entering class of 2010.

McConkey distinctly remembers when, as a prospective student, he learned about the award. He wasn't sure whether he necessarily had the conventional "book smarts" to win it, and he hadn't yet decided to enroll at North Park, but he was intrigued by the award's unusual, on-campus competition weekend. "I thought of it as another chance to visit North Park, if nothing else,” he says.

Eligible applicants can request an invitation to participate in the two-day competition weekend during which they attend an instructional or artistic event, write about it, and then interact with North Park professors and fellow applicants.

McConkey came into the competition weekend with a relaxed attitude, something he recommends to this year's applicants, too. "The weekend is definitely intense, but don't get freaked out about it. Don't get up at six in the morning to prep if that's not something you'd normally do," he laughs. He credits his low-pressure mindset with helping him to concentrate and do his best.

One of the things he valued about the competition weekend was the insight into the University that it provided—including opportunities to meet outstanding professors who share great stories and an insider's view.

He notes that the event also helped him see North Park as a place where he could make the most of his college experience. Meeting future classmates and friends was a bonus.

The Trustee Award is just one of several competitive scholarships offered by the University. Another is the Hahn Scholarship, endowed by the generosity of longtime history teacher Virginia E. Hahn. The scholarship provides up to $4,000 annually for the duration of a recipient's undergraduate studies, on top of other scholarships or grants awarded by North Park. Fourteen Hahn Scholars are currently studying history at the University in preparation to teach history at the high school or college level.